this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2023
5 points (100.0% liked)

Native Plant Gardening

23 readers
1 users here now

Why native plants?

According to the The National Audubon Society:

Restoring native plant habitat is vital to preserving biodiversity. By creating a native plant garden, each patch of habitat becomes part of a collective effort to nurture and sustain the living landscape for birds and other animals.

What our community is about—

This community is for everyone who is interested in planting native species in their garden. Come here for discussions, questions, and sharing of ideas/photos.

Rules:

  1. Don't be a jerk.
  2. Don't spam.
  3. Stay on topic.
  4. Specify your region in the post title. This is a global community, so designating your region is important.

More for you to explore—

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Love this community, very excited.

Anyone familiar with UK native species? I am a foreigner and have a small little garden. I have abandoned veggies because they are too much work and we do not eat them fast enough. What kinds of things would thrive that are low-maintenance and help our local ecosystem?

It's really hot down here, can get dry and the soil isn't super great. The plot is full sun and the cats like to nap in it. We just had a fence replaced, and now it is ready to go again. It is under a dark garden cloth for now. We have berries, roses herbs and fruit in pots and in the ground. Our grape vine is absolutely mental for a hint on what would thrive.

top 1 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Saxifraga 1 points 1 year ago

Hay meadow species for sandy dry soil would suit. There's a ton of suppliers for wildflower seed in the UK, but I'd highly recommend to use one that's reputable. You can either go for seeds with UK provenance or plant legumes to give pollen and nectar resources. Or you could collect local seed from meadows near you, but that's a lot more work!

Maintenance would be cutting once a year (September) and allowing the seed to fall (to allow natural regeneration) before collecting the hay. Would that be low maintenance enough for you? The cutting and picking up the hay does take a bit of time.

Let me know if you'd like to know more on establishing a wildflower meadow, it's my research specialty.